


Breaking the Cycle ((HIATUS))

by bryar6



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gen, Inferred PTSD, Internal Conflict, Kissing, Mentioned temporary major character death, OC's!, Other, POV Multiple, Please this whole thing is spoilers, Season/Series 03, Sign Language, Spoilers, TDP Season Three, a few mentioned characters, implied killing, post-season 3, some description of blood and gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21598732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bryar6/pseuds/bryar6
Summary: Reflections from various characters post-season three, developing into a few branching storylines. We'll see where this takes me. I just wanted to air some feelings and explore the characters' personal thoughts and feelings about what's happened, there will be quite a few chapters, with semi-regular updates. Keep an eye out for oneshots and a mini-series about Rayla's parents(all of them!). Rating may eventually change from general to teen, depending on content as it gains chapters. Also, can I just say? I love these characters and the representation from the show. :)
Relationships: Amaya & Janai (The Dragon Prince), Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Ibis/Nyx (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 77
Kudos: 267





	1. Next Moves

**Author's Note:**

> HIATUS. I do not know when or if I will return to this work. I hope at some point I will, but unfortunately, at the moment I do not have the energy or motivation to keep up. Thanks for all the support this has and still continues to get, I appreciate it.

Callum stands at the edge of the Spire. The wind buffets his hair, a chill running through him. He’s imagining the fall again, the desperation, the wind in his feathers, the powerful beats of his wings. And catching her, spiraling up into the air…. 

It’s possible he might never get tired of the exhilaration of using primal magic. And to think, the only human to do so...ever. He peers down into the clouds far below.

Well, as far as they knew. But like Claudia had recounted saying so long ago, back at the Moon Nexus, “Unstoppable is just another kind of stoppable.” Callum considers how this applies to his thought process at all. 

Where had Claudia gone, anyways? Or, for that matter, Viren’s body, or his strange purple caterpillar. No one had been able to track them down, or any bodies, splattered or otherwise. Some small part of him worries that Viren might still be alive. 

“It isn’t possible,” he whispers to himself. Shaking his head, he raises his arms and checks the painted runes once more. 

Callum closes his eyes, and begins the spell. “Manus. Pluma. Volantis.” It’s an almost comfortable feeling, he thinks, the feathers snaking over his skin, his fingers disappearing into the ends of his wings. Like this was something he was meant to do. 

“Callum?” 

He startles, and turns, wings nearly smacking Ibis standing behind him. “Oh, sorry! Hey?” 

Ibis looks ashamed as he meets Callum’s eyes. “I wanted to apologize. Refusing your request to teach you. That was...wrong of me. I misjudged you, and many of the other humans I’ve met since. If you’re not opposed, I’d be willing to teach you for the remainder of your time here.” 

“You- you would? I mean, thank you, that would be great, really, thank you!” Callum tucks his wings in close to his body and steps away from the edge. He wonders if he could come off as any more excited. 

“Of course. I owe it to you for what you’ve done for us, and, well, for proving me wrong. Find me tomorrow and we can discuss it,” the Skywing elf smiles as he turns away. “Seems I caught you at an inopportune time.” 

“You didn’t!” Callum calls after him. A low chuckle carries over the wind. 

Callum returns to the edge and opens his wings. They catch the air, staggering him. He resolves to just feel the wind, the air. Feel and be the sky primal. He is the wing. What if he could discover and learn the other primals? He knows he needs the runes on his arms for this, and the moon opal for Historia Viventum, but what else could he do? Maybe he could ask Janai about the kinds of magic Sunfire elves do. 

Arms encircle his chest and a face burrows into his shoulder. 

“Hey, Ray,” he murmurs, lifting a wing and sweeping her around to face him. “Still no lesson in stealth, huh?” 

“But then you’d hear me sneakin’ up on you,” she says, grinning. “Anyways, what are you doing up here, all by yourself?” It’s early in the morning. He’d just finished sketching the sunrise and was planning on taking a flight through the still-pink clouds. 

“Drawing. Thinking. About to go for a flight.” He looks past her horns, to where the clouds are beginning to clear. “Would you, uh, would you care to join me?” 

Callum smiles at her, touching her nose with his. Here, cocooned in his wings, is Rayla, amazing, brave, heroic Rayla. He gets so easily lost in those lavender eyes. 

“Of course. A safe one, preferably,” she adds. Callum laughs and crouches so she can get on, wrapping her arms carefully around his shoulders and legs tight around his waist. Once secure, Callum poises at the edge. 

“Here we go!” 

He swoops off, letting the air lift his wings and bring them into a bank of clouds. He laughs and twirls through the sky, diving low, corkscrewing down, down, down, plateauing and gliding. Soon they’re soaring close to the green fields, across the expanses of meadowland that stretch outward. Callum veers away from Thunder’s stone figure. 

Both of them giggling and grinning, Callum tucks his wings and they tumble to the ground. They come to a stop, laying on their backs, facing up at the clouds that seem so far away now. 

Rayla looks at him, a peaceful smile playing on her face. “I love you.” 

Callum smiles back, wings dissipating, reaching out and brushing her hair from her face. “I love you, too, Ray.” 

They spend some time laying on the soft grass and watching the clouds gradually disappear, talking about nothing. 

“Rayla, I was wondering,” Callum starts. His face twists a little. “Now that this is all over, or at least we think it is, what you were planning on doing. I mean, I know you want to go back home, and maybe Ethari and other elves can tell them the truth, or you could stay here with Zym, be a part of their new Dragonguard. All I know is that I want to be wherever you are.” 

“I was thinking, too. I want to go home, show you Moonberry surprise,” she laughs. “But I want to keep travelling. I get the feeling that it’s not all done yet. Besides, you have so much to learn about primal magic. And maybe one day I’ll be a good Dragonguard. But it’s my path to choose, now.” 

“Ibis is going to teach me more about Sky primal magic and Ez still has a couple of days here, so I figured I’d stick around. It’ll be a long time before Xadia fully recovers. I think I want to learn the other primals, too.” Callum fears their paths might split but is reassured by Rayla’s hand squeezing his gently. His worries show on his face. 

“It’ll be alright. I’m not going anywhere without you if I can help it.” 

A thunderous beat of wings echoes in the valley, the ground reverberating as the Dragon Queen sets down at the foot of the Spire. Zym is a faint pale speck next to her, flying circles around her head. 

“I think things are going to be alright.” Callum rolls onto his stomach, digging in his pockets for something. 

“Yeah.” Rayla looks to him, his gaze flicking between the sketchbook and pencil he’s pulled out and the dragons. “I think it will.” 

x

In a cave, somewhere off the side of the Spire, Claudia watches her father staring intently at the chrysalis. She doesn’t ask him anything about it. He’s barely said a word to her since she revived him. She sips some hot brown morning potion she made, from a cup she carved while waiting for Viren to finally come back. 

She’s been having nightmares of Soren, running his blade right into their father’s chest. She knows it was just an illusion but she can’t shake the way Soren didn’t hesitate. He knew what side he wanted to be on. But Claudia? She’s still trying to convince herself that her father was just trying to help people. 

He was, wasn’t he? 

Wingbeats outside remind her that they failed their mission. That they weren’t successful. Dad said something about that Moonshadow elf, Rayla. She’d grabbed him and leapt from the tower, but how had she survived? Dad remembered nothing else. 

Viren still stares. Her gaze shifts to the smashed crown. Ezran would be the first in a long line to receive a new crown, she imagines. Viren wasn’t the rightful king, but surely an adult would be better than a kid? 

“Dad?” Claudia’s voice is hoarse. She feels weakened. She feels something heavy settling into the pit of her stomach. What she did...it was for the best, right? Her eyes flick to the boots in the corner. She shudders. Sacrifices have to be made. 

“Any day now,” he says, monotone. “Any day.” He isn’t speaking to her. 

Claudia gets up and goes outside, the cup in her hands trembling. She shoves away any thoughts about Soren. It’s too painful to think about. 

x

Soren doesn’t feel lost or uncertain. It concerns him. He just feels...dangerous. It wasn’t his father. Maybe that’s a good thing? But he knows that Dad wanted him to kill the princes. And he knows Dad doesn’t like him anymore. 

If he did at all, in the first place. 

His sister was by far Dad’s favorite. Was she okay? Did she really understand the implications of what Viren had tried to do? What she had done? But...Dad was gone now, and Claudia had vanished after that terrible incident on the battlefield. 

What about Claudia? She knew it was just an illusion, and yet...she was horrified. His own sister. He did that. Yeah, he has killed before. To protect Katolis. To protect the people he cared about. But he would have hurt someone he cared about. 

Did he still care about Viren? Or did he just care about keeping his dangerous father from hurting anyone else? 

Soren reclines against his post outside the entrance to the Spire. Maybe he’s a danger to the people around him now. 

Zubeia’s loud and gentle laughter carries up to him from the battlefield. He feels his heart clench a little, at the thought that his father wanted to take everything away from that dragon. And for what purpose? But what if he was just like Viren, in some dark way, evil hidden in the recesses of his mind? 

But, no, he isn’t. He chose good. He looked evil in the eye. So maybe evil was his father. He’d do it again if he had to. But it wasn’t him. 

Maybe he will do it again. Soren’s hand touches the pommel of his sword reflexively. He hopes it doesn’t come to that. 

Amaya exits the Spire courtyard, flanked by Janai and Gren, translating for her. Amaya signs to Soren with a half-smile. 

“Good morning. Your shift is over,” Gren says. Then, as himself to Soren, “Care to join me for a walk?” Janai stays with Amaya, signing something awkwardly. Amaya grins and repeats the sign with ease. Janai’s brow furrows. 

“Sure. I’m sorry. There’s just a lot on my mind.” Soren spots Zubeia and Callum in front of her, grand wings tucked to his sides. 

“No, it’s fine, I’d just heard that Barius had fashioned himself a sort of oven and was handing out tarts. That’s where I’m headed,” Gren laughs. “You okay?”

Soren meets his eyes, sensing that Gren had gone through something equally terrible. But for now, they wanted to forget. “I will be. What about those jelly tarts, again?” 

x

Ezran is leaving in a few days. He has a kingdom to run. With Corvus and Opeli at his side and a serious lack in corrupt advisors, things might be different. He’s been through so much over the past few days. He’s ready now. 

Ezran is sitting at the peak of the Spire, legs dangling over the edge. Somewhere far below, he can make out Zubeia’s grand wings. He’s going to miss Zym. And Xadia. 

Maybe he isn’t ready yet. He could stay here... 

But he has responsibilities back home. He does want to return to them. His people are counting on it. Katolis is a safe, secure place for him. Besides, it wouldn’t be so hard to visit. 

Ez already knows Callum isn’t coming back with him. He was connected to an arcanum now, and Ibis was offering to teach him. Callum was never fit to be a prince or king. He couldn’t ride or use a sword. He’d never really felt at home penned up in the castle, either. 

No, he was going to stay here. And Ezran was going to leave. 

Callum has Rayla now. And everyone can see that they’re not leaving each other any time soon. They spend most waking hours together, and Ezran guesses from seeing the two of them in the slumbering group on the floor of the Spire courtyard, many sleeping hours too. They’re inseparable. 

Ez is happy for them. But the two princes have no one left now. Just each other. He reassures himself that it’ll be okay. He is strong. He can do this, and nothing will stop him now. Callum can just fly to him now, if they so wish. 

And Callum has Rayla. They’ll protect each other with their lives. Just as they’d protect Ezran. Someday, they will all go on adventures together again. 

Bait clambers into his lap and he laughs. “You wish you could sprout a pair of wings too, don’t you?” 

Bait grunts and Ezran scratches the glow toad’s belly, smiling. “I know you don’t, heights make you sick.” 

x

Viren is tired. His body feels so fragile, so delicate. 

And he’s mad at himself. He was so close. And what about the Dragon Queen? Some part of him knew she was nearby. He could just feel the power and energy. 

But that didn’t matter. Aaravos’s caterpillar was changing into something else, something stunning and powerful. The two of them would be unstoppable. 

And there was Claudia. She’d done something incredible by bringing him back to life. He must be a miracle. Something still wasn’t right, though. 

He resolved that it didn’t matter. There were other things to think about now. What would they do from here?

Aaravos would know, once he emerged. 

x

Zubeia felt so wonderfully at peace. Her son was returned. The war, the fighting, was over. Two human and elf couples, so content with each other. The dark mages were nowhere to be found. 

This concerns her some, but for now, the issue was resolved and she could teach Azymondias the ways of the dragons. The human mage charms her with his kind courtship of the Moonshadow Dragonguard. Rayla. Zym likes her. At nights when Zubeia can’t get him to rest, she came in, bleary-eyed, taking the growing dragon into her arms. 

The dragon smiles, thinking of the sweet little lullabies the young elf sings. Rayla’s parents sang it the night she'd laid the egg. She remembers it vividly. The day she thought she lost everything. She’d waited. Years. She hoped that maybe her egg was still alive. 

Slowly, she’d become depressed and sunk into a hopeless sleep. Then, finally, at the end of the battle, she’d woken. She’d sensed something. It was hope. It was love. 

Zym headbutts her leg and she moves to nuzzle him, laughing. Her dear, dear son. It was interesting to her that the child king had managed to teach him to fly, a notoriously hard thing in dragon culture. 

Someone had said something about his ability to communicate with animals. It seems the royal family is talented, she muses. 

Zubeia looks to the sky and considers what the future might hold. She has hope. These children are breaking the cycles their parents and their families before them had kept going for centuries. They were going to change things. She knows it.


	2. Healing Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New perspectives as our characters split and move on. It's time to rebuild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing a new ship to the fandom here (as far as I know I'm the first) Ibis/Nyx. Should their ship name be Ibyx?

_Rayla is falling...tumbling through the empty air… so far, far out of reach. Callum watches in shock. She sacrificed herself. Just like her parents. She’s so brave._

_Callum remembers something. Wings. A memory of beautiful brown plumage._

_He leaps. He has to catch her. He will. But this time, she’s so far away, falling faster than he is._

_And his wings! The spell, it’s not working. There’s runes painted on his arms, but no feathers emerge from the skin. He tries again and again, to no avail. Rayla’s shrinking form disappears into the clouds._

_“Rayla!” he screams. He faintly hears her shouting his name. He’s too late._

_He's plummitting._

“Callum! Wake up! Stupid prince, wake up already!” 

Callum bolts upright, throwing himself onto his feet. He shakes. Rayla jumps up beside him, grabbing his arms. The sensation of falling weightless through the air shrugs away. He stumbles, suddenly dizzy.

“Hey, whoa there, be careful,” she warns, looking to those sleeping on the floor around them. It’d barely been a week since the Battle for the Spire, as they were calling it. Over the next few days, people were planning on returning home. For now, they slept on the floor of the main courtyard as sleeping alcoves were limited and unfurnished. It’d been a long time since anyone but Ibis lived in the Spire. “C’mere. You alright?” 

Callum pants, trying to catch his breath. It’s all too fast, too much. _“Breathe, Callum.”_ Sarai. Mom. 

“Hey, hey, take a breath. Breathe,” says Rayla, guiding them out of the Spire. “You’re okay. I’m right here.” Her hand slips comfortably into hers. 

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Callum looks to her, trying to calm himself. “Sorry. Nightmare.”

Rayla’s mouth goes taut. “I’ve been having them too. About...bout the fall?” Callum just nods. “S’okay. Kinda to be expected. Was scary. But it’s alright now. We’re both safe. And together.”

“Yeah. You’re right. It’s just, I keep thinking about it. I think I will until I feel completely secure in the spell.” Callum sighs, leaning into her. “That’s what the training is for. I’m getting better.” 

“That’s right. I jus’ worry about you. Risking your life for me,” she laughs quietly, looking to the pinkening horizon. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get back to sleep.” 

“Me either. Watch the sunrise?” 

“Sure.” 

The wind is gone this morning. The sun commences it’s arrival in fiery reds and oranges, fading to pink and purple and indigo behind them. Rayla and Callum sit tucked against each other for warmth, watching the colors. Callum wishes he knew how to paint. The dawn’s light touching off Rayla’s hair and horns makes her glow. 

“The clouds are so fluffy. They remind me of Adoraburrs,” Rayla says, pointing to a few gathering thunderheads in the distance. He chuckles. 

Callum is reminded of how the sunrise looked off his father’s balcony in Katolis. But this, this was so much more colorful, so enchanting. He wishes that he could see sunrises like this every morning, waking each day to a canvas of colors. He reaches out and traces the silhouette of a cloud with a finger, imagining that he could paint the sky with a spell. He’d heard of places far, far north that the night sky lit up with brilliant hues of greens and purples. Maybe one day, they could travel there, see it for themselves. Callum wants to keep adventuring. There is so much to see and learn. 

“Rayla?”

“Yeah?” 

“Nothing.” A slight pause. He smiles at her. “I love you.” 

“Love you, too.” 

x

Today is leaving day. Amaya watches everyone packing, talking, saying so many different things. She’d read lips here or there, but for the most part, it is just chatter. Unfortunately, she’s still undecided. 

She is Katolis’s greatest general; wouldn’t her nephew want her back at the castle? But what was there left to do that Gren or Fen couldn’t handle? There were...alternative reasons for staying here. Amaya looks through the crowd again. Her gaze snags on the Sunfire elf princess. 

Janai seems to notice and turns toward her, making a somewhat awkward sign for hey. Gods, Amaya could feel and hear her heart thudding in her chest. Briefly, she wonders- for not the first time -if others could hear each other’s hearts beating like this. 

_Hello,_ Amaya waves, grinning widely. She’s never felt like this before. The beautiful elven general makes her way towards her, saying something out loud. 

“Have you decided?” 

_No. I will speak with Ezran._ Amaya searches her eyes, thinking she sees a spark of hope there. _I think I want to stay. With you._

“You know that I’m in line for the throne. What would you do in Xadia, anyways?” 

_I don’t know. Be with you?_ Amaya grins and Janai punches at her shoulder playfully. Janai has picked up on simple signs very quickly, but Amaya has to repeat the sign for know. It looks too much like a salute. _Be back._

Amaya makes her way through the crowd, searching for the small king. When she finds him, speaking with Soren, she taps his shoulder. _Question for you._

Ezran dismisses the Crown Guard. _Yeah?_

_I-_ She pauses. Is this what she really wants? She looks again to the stunning, fiery elf. _I think I want to stay._ She cringes, realizing it wasn’t a question. 

Ezran follows her look, understanding falling on his face. _With Janai._ He spells out the letters, but it’s unnecessary. _If you stay, will you look after the injured troops? J said they could try to purify them with the Light, but there’s no staff…_

 _I want to help. And, J... I want to be with her._ Amaya can’t deny it; she’s had her eye on the gorgeous warrior since the days at the Breach. The only person she’d ever met who could match her prowess. 

Ezran looks across the courtyard to Rayla and Callum, hand in hand. He looks back at Amaya knowingly. _Yes. You decide. I’ll be fine in Katolis. Besides, we can always use diplomats. Keep an eye out for enemies, too._ Ezran holds his arms out for a hug and she sweeps him up, crushing him against her armor. He signs _I love you_ and she signs it back. 

_Thank you. I’ll be sure to visit._ Amaya practically runs back to Janai, signing excitedly. 

“Slower, I’m not that good!” Janai takes one of her hands and squeezes and releases, so she can sign again. 

_I’m staying! With you! Me and you!_ Amaya crushes her in a hug. She really, really likes her. Janai grins and hugs tighter. She can tell Janai says something, but she can only feel the vibrations of her voice in her chest. 

x

Ibis almost hates to see them leaving. He’s been starved of company for so long now, with just the sleeping dragon and the occasional messenger to talk to. The past week had been more than enough excitement for a lifetime, and yet, he is going to miss them. 

Sure, the human mage and his girlfriend would be staying, him to learn more Sky primal magic and her to settle the dragon prince in, but he knew they wouldn’t be staying forever. 

He is, simply put, lonely. He is young for a mage, but talented. And, admittedly, he’d been a troublemaker as a kid. Always doing something chaotic in the classroom, disrupting tests, and never accomplishing anything. So they’d sent him out here. It’d made him composed and calm, but lonely. 

He sighs. He’s learned to value what he gets. 

He makes his way out from the central courtyard and to the rope bridge, peering out. If only some other Skywing flew in from time to time. It’d been forever since his people stopped by. 

And as if he wished it, a pair of wing beats buffeted the air behind him. He sighed. “Callum, be careful-”

“Callum? Oh is Rayla here, too?” A stunning winged Skywing lights on the bridge beside him. “Hey, you look familiar...can’t say why though.” 

“And who might you be?” Ibis says, as she shouldered past him. 

“Nyx. A friend of Callum and Rayla’s. Helped them across the Midnight Desert, you know.” She folds her wings and winks at him. 

“I’m...Ibis. Also their friend. What business are you here on?” 

“Oh, you know, checking in. Don’t mind me.” 

Ibis follows her into the Spire, noting her eyes landing on all sorts of valuable objects. A thief, he decides. 

Then he remembers. She’d been kicked from school too. More of a troublemaker than him, and a huge opportunist. “Nyx, they’re busy here. You mind staying out of the way- hey! Hands off that, it’s not yours.” Ibis snatches away a vase she’d taken off a shelf. 

“Sorry,” she says, sounding smug. “You know, maybe I’ll stay a bit. Been a long time since I’ve taken a break from all the wandering. Need a rest. You mind if I stay a bit?”

Nyx sounds almost genuine this time. “I...I guess you could. If you promised not to steal anything.” 

She spins back to him, extending a hand. “Deal.” She makes a quick bow and he can’t help but noticing how her wings part slightly to hold her balance. “Quite the place you have here.” 

“Uh huh,” he says, musing. Maybe. He could use the company.  
x

Barius hoists a heavy pack onto his back. It’ll be a long journey. They were restocked and ready to go, but something didn’t feel quite right. 

Maybe it was watching Ezran part with his brother. Again. The knowledge that everyone was being divided by this. Only physically, but still. Things were never going back to the way they once were. Callum is happy. Amaya is happy. Ezran is tired, but ready. Soren looks conflicted, but confident. Aanya took many with her when she left the previous day. Her journey home was further than Ezran’s. 

All around him, change was sparking. A strange new winged elf had marched in, chased by Ibis only moments ago. And yet, right now, he feels a strange sort of ache. 

Barius doesn’t know what the world will look like soon. So much was changing revolutionarily. And he has a sinking suspicion that things aren’t over. 

“King Ezran, are you ready?” he calls to the young boy. 

“Yeah, I’m coming,” he says offhandedly, still saying goodbyes. 

Barius turns to the steps, having already said what he needed to. A kingdom awaits them, and he’s had enough adventures for a lifetime. 

x

Janai is afraid of the responsibilities that would soon come with being queen. It’s so unlike her to be afraid of anything. She’s fearless on the battlefield and would fight anyone who hurt those she loved. 

But the thought of a queen’s responsibility terrifies her. Her sister was always her opposite: queenlike, well-mannered, and diplomatic. What would she do now? She has an aunt, but she isn’t of royal blood and nor would she take up the throne. Janai curses the matrilineal society of theirs. 

She wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. She wasn’t that kind of elf. 

They were leaving today. It’s a day’s journey to Lux Aurea. She isn’t looking forward to arriving there to repair the damages the dark mage had done. Not to mention, while the casualties of the war had been sparse, it still meant days of mourning.

But Amaya would be there with her, by her side. How had she, a prideful, human-hating, princess, fallen for a human general? Human and elf relationships had been unheard of since the days before the continent was split in two. 

Especially relationships with royal blood of either race. Janai knows it’s risky. She would be judged, looked down on by others. It wasn’t because Amaya was a woman; gender and sexuality were considered fluid and that wasn’t the issue. It was just the judgment she feared. Both races held such deep-seated disgust with the others 

Amaya makes her way towards her through the crowd and reaches her hand out. Concern is etched on her face. Janai takes it, relieved. Things would be okay. They’d make it together. 

_If only my sister could see me now,_ she muses, with an ache in her chest. They’d fled so fast, and now, to go back….

This is what war does. It hurts, it destroys, it tears apart. Amaya and Janai know this more than anyone. They’ve been at the forefront of the fighting for years now. And now? They have to rebuild. Repair, make treaties, allow passage through the Breach, educate people to not hate each other. It would take years. 

Janai looks at Amaya, taking in her pretty features and fierce stance. This isn’t at all what they were taught to do. They were taught to wield swords and to take out the enemy and fight until their last breath. Now, they were tasked to heal the wounds their own blades had wrought. 

It’s time to break the cycle of destruction. They didn’t have to be like those before them. They weren’t going to be. 

_Ready?_ Amaya signs. Janai imagines that the confidence radiates off her like sunbeams.

 _Ready_. Janai repeats her. “I’m going home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for checking out my work! It's absolutely inspired me to keep working and I've got the second chapter all keyed up already. The third one will be well on its way soon. Any perspectives that you guys would like to see? Let me know and I'll absolutely write it!


	3. Reflecting and Returning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claudia remembers her interaction with the strange purple worm, Soren struggles with recent events and still questions himself, Nyx is a memelord, and Kazi finds Amaya and Janai absolutely adorable. They definitely ship Janaya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. The first vignette is dark, has some gorey descriptions and implied killing, feel free to skip it.

The damn chrysalis still hasn’t hatched. Food is so scarce out here, and Claudia had never even considered learning spells for food. Maybe Viren knew them, but he’s in a trance. All his waking hours are spent watching the pulsing, writhing mass. 

Claudia is cold. She’s tired. And her interaction with that ugly, nasty worm still unnerves her. It haunts her. What she did. 

_“What are you? I know you talk. Dad talks to you sometimes.” Her father lay lifeless on the floor. She’d dragged him, broken, bloody, ripped, into the cave. His body was so ruined by the fall, revolting to look at. Her clothing was stained with blood. She’d sobbed, she’d hurt. She was so, so lost. What now?_

_There was an eerie silence as the worm, overly large, large as the royal hunting dogs, moved carefully towards her. She backed herself towards the wall._

_“Stay...stay away from me…” Claudia had an almost sickening feeling in her stomach. She swung a long stick at it, but it didn’t flinch._

_**I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help. I’ve watched you try and fail to bring him back. It’ll take more power than you have. A life for a life. I know the magic. Just...let me help.** _

_“I don’t- I don’t know what you mean.” It was almost like the thing was speaking in her mind. She coughed, shivering again. Gods, it was making her ill to stay here like this, in the damp and dark._

_**I can help you. Bring me back someone from that field out there. The more alive the better.** _

_“You’re not saying..?” But Claudia knew what the strange creature meant. It nodded._

_She did what it told her too. She didn’t want to think about it. Taking lives had practically become a breeze, she thought sardonically._

_Slowly, Viren’s pulse returned, warmth under her fingers. He was alive. And she’d done it. She had practically sobbed with relief._

_**There, child. Give him time and he’ll be back to you. We have greatness to achieve yet, you and I.** _

Tears slip from the corners of her eyes. She is so exhausted. She just wants to lay down and sleep. Never wake up. Dad was all she had left. But it was okay. She’d saved him. 

Gods, she was so, so cold. 

x 

Soren plans on staying at the Spire for a few more days. Most have left already. He wants to be by King Ezran’s side, but he has other pressing matters. He’s desperate to find his sister. And know what became of Viren. 

“Sor, haven’t we checked here already?” Callum is helping him search. Ibis is preoccupied by a sly, blue-haired elf that neither Callum or Rayla particularly like. “I feel like we’re going in circles.”

“They have to be here somewhere. I know it. I just...have this stupid feeling that they’re still around. Viren, too. Callum…” Soren trails off. He looks away. This is the fourth sweep today and nothing has turned up. 

“Yeah?” Callum inspects a rock, intrigued. 

“Did we do the right thing? I know we’re the good guys but I- I just- I can’t help but feeling- This is so stupid, I’m so sorry-” Soren throws his arms against his sides. Tears full of pent-up emotions prick at his eyes. “Callum, what if I’m evil too? What if Clauds is? What if I’m putting you in danger right now-” 

“Soren! Hey, whoa, slow down. Here, here sit down. Slower now. Take a breath.” Callum’s eyes are glossy. 

“I don’t know if I can trust myself. Viren- my dad- he turned into...that. What if I might? What if I don’t have a choice? What if I lose Claudia, too?” The tears leave silvery tracks on his cheeks. “I’m so, so sorry. I’ve done terrible things already, I- I shot down that dragon, and Dad told me to try to kill you and Ez, I’m bad already. Don’t you see?” 

“Soren, you said it yourself. He tried to convince you that what you were doing was right. It’s not. You know that. You made the right choice. You won’t turn evil.” Callum pauses, and moves closer to him. “You’re a good person. And I promise, we’ll find Claudia and we’ll help her. You’ve helped us so much. You guys will be okay again.” 

Soren nods. “Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I’m just...having a hard time right now.” 

Callum looks away. “I think a lot of us are.” 

“Thank you. Did I tell you, I’m so, so sorry for all the bad things I’ve ever done-” Callum crushes him in a hug. Soren wipes his tears and hugs him back, laughing brokenly. “You’re like a younger brother, Callum.”

“Hey. It’ll be okay. We’re here to help you out, Soren. But thank you.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” Callum steps back, smiling. Soren rubs his eyes more, and laughs a little. “So uh, you already know I’m oblivious, but are you and Rayla...a thing?” 

Callum snorts, and rubs the back of his head. “I mean, yeah, yes, we are. A thing.” He blushes and the two laugh, real, for the first time in days. 

x

Nyx lounges on the steps to the Queen’s cave, inspecting an ornate goblet. Ibis watches her from the corner of his eye while he writes out runes to teach Callum later.

“Say, you know what these here birds are? The carving is so tiny…” she holds it to the light. 

Ibis sighs. “It’s a human relic. They’re a sort of domesticated bird I think…” He leans in over her shoulder to inspect it. 

“Look at all those chickens,” she chuckles to herself. “Aren’t they birds?”

Ibis shakes his head, smiling. He’d probably have guessed geese. “So you really are planning on staying here, aren’t you? I’ll be glad to have the company, once the rest of them are gone.” 

“Ugh. Her company. I think I’d rather be alone for years than any time myself with her. What are ya doing here, anyways?” Rayla scoffs. She flicks out a blade and inspects it’s edges. 

Nyx sticks out her tongue. “Leave me be. I wanted to check in on you guys. Besides, betcha didn’t know I’m an old friend of Ib’s here.” She winks at him. He raises his eyebrows and turns away. 

Old friend. Yeah, right. She’d picked on him mercilessly. He wasn’t exactly the most likable kid around. He’d gotten on her bad side once, and it certainly wasn’t somewhere he wanted to be again. 

“Rayla, leave her be,” Ibis warns. 

“Fine, fine. I’m just finding Zym.” Rayla scrunches her nose as she passes Nyx. 

Nyx shrugs her wings. This makes Ibis smile a bit. He knows that he probably shouldn’t, but he almost likes her.

Rayla tugs a struggling Zym out of the Spire, cursing him every time she scratches her arms. Nyx chuckles. 

“Shut up!” Rayla almost growls. 

They laugh harder, together. Ibis feels he could get used to it. 

x 

Kazi is overjoyed to see Janai back home and even more so that the deaf warrior is with them. 

“You’re back! I assume it’s a good thing- er, that well, you won? Where’s the staff? And you brought her back!” 

Janai simply smiles. “Kazi, I’m very tired. Let’s put everything off until tomorrow.” 

“Yes, yes of course,” they say, rushing to take the pretty human warrior’s shield. They turn to her now, signing out letters. _A-M-A-Y-A. Yes?_

Amaya grins. Despite the lack of a fifth finger, Kazi seems to have figured out how to pare down the language. _Yes! K-A-Z-I?_ Kazi nods. Amaya tugs on Janai’s arm, wheeling her around to face them. 

Kazi notices something strange in the way Janai looks at Amaya. Softer, gentler. From the way Janai treats the human, they almost thought that their people had brought home a different elf. Kazi tries not to let their mind wander...but what if Janai liked her? Wouldn’t that be something? 

They follow the two, noticing how blatantly they hold hands, how casual it is. Kazi finds this adorable, actually. Sure, they’ve had crushes, but seeing her friend so peaceful with this strong woman is cute. 

Janai and Amaya sit by a low fire that night, attempting to teach each other more signs. Much to Kazi’s amusement, they fall asleep against each other, hand in hand. 

The next morning, Janai puts things off for a few more hours. Kazi follows them, translating as best they can. Janai is trying to learn but it’s clear it’s going to take a long time. Besides, Amaya is trying to adapt to Kazi’s version of sign language and it’s clear that they’re both going to struggle with the finger issue, despite the hours of revision Kazi has put into the language. 

“Would you like to get breakfast?” There’s a shy sound in Janai’s voice. Kazi translates to Amaya, hoping she can pick up on Janai’s feelings by facial cues. 

_Yes? If you want to._ Kazi feels so awkward translating all this. They’re definitely intruding on their relationship. Is it a relationship? Are they allowed to ask if it is a relationship? Nonetheless, they try to be as unobtrusive as possible. 

Amaya uses all sorts of silly, flirty language on Janai, who blushes frequently just from Amaya’s looks. She can almost convey her feelings purely through looks and it impresses Kazi. 

_Is this a date?_ Amaya asks after a little while. She seems so content here. 

“What? I don’t-” Janai catches Kazi’s smirk. “Oh, shut up. I suppose it is. Are you enjoying it?”

Amaya blushes as fiercely as she fights. _Yes._

Janai smiles, looking at once vulnerable and queen-like. “Great.” 

Kazi is overjoyed. They know the two will make quite the couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not try to figure out how sign language would be altered here simply because I don't have the time for it, but I wanted to at least show that it would without a doubt be difficult. If someone did want to figure it out that would be so neat! Anyways, thanks again everyone who's read up until this point and thank you so much for sending suggestions and feedback, it's super appreciated and I'll absolutely take more!!


	4. New Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spell-learning and reflections from elf dad and thoughts about yeeting oneself off a huge mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge delay y'all, school and mental health gets in the way sometimes. Also, keep up the suggestions for more content. Hope you enjoy!

Callum nervously bounces on the balls of his feet, trying to work out his nerves. He was going to be officially taught sky magic, finally! But there were so many worries on his mind. What if he couldn’t do them? Or they were too hard? Or maybe Ibis was simply not a good teacher? 

But his worries are quelled as Ibis walks onto the peak of the Spire. The dark clouds behind him are almost ominous. 

“Ready?” Ibis asks, not needing an answer. “Keep in mind, it’s obviously going to be easier to do more powerful spells and magic here because we’re so close to the magic itself.” He gestures around them absently. “You seem to already understand how to find the Sky arcanum, so I’ll focus on using it. Some magic will require runes drawn or tattooed on you, things like the wings, while others are best drawn in the air and breathed on to activate. Try the wing spell again, so I can judge your abilities.” 

Callum raises his arms, looking to the painted runes. He’s begun to use a longer lasting paint that only wore off after a few weeks. It stems from his fears of not being able to catch her again. All the what-ifs terrify him. Callum recites the runes and his chest fills with relief as the feathers sprout over his skin. The first time he tried it after the leap, he was so afraid it wouldn’t work again. But he’s okay now, and the spell comes as easy as breathing. 

“Very good. It seems to come incredibly easy to you. It’s something only the better Skywing mages tend to achieve. Good. I know you’re aware of fulminus and aspiro, so I’ve written down a dozen or so that you’d probably be interested in. Would you like to know how to call rain?” Ibis grins. This spell is one of his favorites. Callum almost jumps up and down from excitement. Ibis slowly traces the rune above his head, a shape like a teardrop. “Vocaveris imbrem.”

It’s as if the sky splits open. Suddenly, like the spell had asked the heavens itself to unleash it’s tears, rain showered from the sky, soaking the two instantly. Callum shakes his wings off as the spell slows to a stop. He’s impressed, but unamused. 

“Couldn’t we have, I dunno, started with a dry spell?” Callum’s wings disappear again, and the runes are somewhat faded. “Also, isn’t that like water magic? Not part of the sky primal?”

“I thought you’d like it. And no, it’s one of the spells that almost bridges the two arcanums. All I did was call on the rain that the clouds were already holding in. If it hadn’t been a stormy day already, the spell would have failed, even for me. Now you try it.” 

Callum breathes deeply, thinking about and calling on all his different emotions as of late. There were plenty for him to use to learn these new spells. Callum repeats the raindrop-esque rune above him, and breathes out, “Vocaveris imbrem!” 

It’s almost like entering a whole new set of magic. The rain pours forth and soaks him again, but it’s a freeing, amazing feeling, the cool water drenching him yet again. “I love it!” Callum shouts, dancing around. 

Ibis chuckles, grinning, thinking about the first time he called rain. “Alright, alright, next spell.” The rain had ended since Callum’s focus is gone and Ibis is eager to see what this prodigy of a human could do. “Now, would you like to call a real storm?” Ibis breathes deeply, feeling the magic almost gathering inside him. “Sonantis tonituri!” he says it so loudly he imagines it echoes on the ceiling of the sky. 

A deep rumbling begins and the sky unleashes a torrent of rain and flashing lightning, so close they could feel the thunder reverberating in their chests. Callum is astonished. Fulminus was such a simple lightning bolt spell. But this? This was incredible!

The moment Callum tries the spell for himself, he knows he’ll never be able to go back to a life without magic. The sky ruptures like he has split it open with a knife. Lightning like he’s never seen before flashes in front of his eyes and the thunder shakes the Spire. It’s like Callum has torn the world apart. Ibis is stunned.

“I...I’ve never seen anyone do that spell so powerfully, on the first try. You are something else,” Ibis muses. Callum releases his hold on the spell and the storm lets up, but the grey clouds loom. “Let’s try a spell to clear things up a bit, shall we? I won’t perform it this time, so you can have the fun. It’s done like aspiro but more powerful. It’s to clear the clouds away.” Ibis pulls out his book and shows him the rune for the spell and it’s name. 

“Quos serenitatem aeries!” Callum says, watching the fan-shaped rune disappear in his breath. The clouds around them clear away, reopening the sky to the sun. He pants with effort. “Whoa. This is...taking a lot out of me.” He’s suddenly exhausted. 

“We can take a break. Here, keep this book. That way you can try the magic when you feel like it, even if I’m not around. You’ve done incredibly well, young mage.” Ibis pats his shoulder and walks down off the peak of the Spire, leaving Callum to watch the last of the clouds clear away. 

x 

Ethari had been surprised when the message arrived, but so, so happy. His Rayla was okay. And better, Xadia had won. The battle was over and Zubeia had awoken. 

The darkness had passed. And yet...Ethari is still sad. Runaan is dead as far as he knows. Rayla still isn’t home, and might not be for a long time. Her message is welcomed but his own family had all gone. He is all Rayla has left. 

He feels so ostracized by the other Moonshadow elves. He’s trying to get them to let Rayla be unghosted. But despite the fact that his daughter had single-handedly (okay, maybe not just her, or single-handedly) and she sends news of her parents brave stand against the human dark mage, they refuse to listen to Ethari. 

It’s a cruel fate, he thinks, sitting on the edge of the lotus flower pool. Rayla’s flower still pulses, silent, reminding him gently _I’m still here. I’m still with you._

Rayla’s message speaks of a young human mage, her so-called “Earthblood elf” friend. His name is Callum and by the sounds of it, Rayla likes him more than just a friend, even if she never says either way. Ethari can’t wait to know him better. He seemed so funny and kind. If he can get to know him better. If the Silvergrove elves let them be seen. 

Ethari misses Runaan. They loved each other so much. He’d never get over his husband’s beautiful smile, his long, snowy hair, his deep rumbling laugh. 

He promised. He had promised to bring his heart back to him. 

Tears roll down Ethari’s face, silent and hot. 

x

Rayla finishes reading Ethari’s letter, clutching it in her hands. She’ll visit him soon. 

So much has happened over the past few days. She decidedly hasn’t told Ethari about her leap from the Spire. She worries he would drop everything and run to find her that instant. She’d tell him eventually and they could laugh about it one day. 

Rayla still thinks about that day. The perilous, fearless leap from the Spire. She’s come so far from her hesitation. She wonders what became of that human she spared, days and weeks and, by the moon, months. She thinks back to a moment after the war that she glimpsed a soldier that looked a lot like him...but the chances are so slim. 

She feels the wind tug at her from the entry to the lair. It reminds her all too well of the way that the wind pulled at her as she sunk through the sky.

What happened to hesitating, unsure Rayla? The one who couldn’t decide what was right or wrong, the one who questioned her every move. She had changed so much. 

She is strong, brave, smart. She is sure. But she had decided, so quickly, so full of understanding, that in that moment, the only thing she could do to save Zym, to stop the dark mage. She’d heard Callum behind her. Shouting her name. Her heart pinched and twisted in her chest. She didn’t turn around. 

But she couldn’t be stopped. She’d already made the decision. She knew what she was doing. Gods, she’d jumped off the tallest mountain in all of the continent (she thinks) to save her world. It was the right thing. It was one of the few things she’d been extremely sure of. The other being Callum. Oh, she loves him. That stupid, wonderful human. 

Just as she had thought she was falling to her death, satisfied, understanding, there he was. Callum. Tumbling through the air, the look of panic on his face enough to bring that spark of hope back to her. She still wasn’t thinking about what she’d done or what the consequences of her choice. But she’d known how right it was. She could have died happy. 

Rayla touches the scarf around her neck. She might have been happy, but she’s so much happier now. And so, so glad she’s still here. She’d finally found her place, broken away from everyone else, decided that she could be whoever she wanted. 

She’s going to be okay. It’s just the start of her new path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I just translated words and phrases to Latin, feel free to look them up, they're pretty straightforward. This is mostly because my s/o was not going to let me butcher two languages by smushing them together (K: You can't just leave out the proper grammar and the conjugations! Me: well I could. K: No, either create your own or just use the base language(Can you tell that my s/o is a huge language enthusiast??)). So it's plain ole Latin. :) Hope you liked it, and keep up the comments and suggestions!


	5. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Less POV's this time, but they're happy this time around, things are going pretty swell for our favs. Some minor travel, moonberry marking stuff, and a Runaan POV (in the coin, of course).

“So your markings, they’re like...temporary tattoos?” Callum runs a thumb over Rayla’s marks, reminiscent of teardrops. 

“Yeah, you change ‘em when your life changes. Used to have ones above my eyes. Been thinking about changing them, actually.” She cups his hand over hers, pressing their hands against her cheek. “What with everything changing, you know.” 

“There’s some cultures that have something similar in Katolis, made from dried and powdered leaves. They only last a few weeks, though," Callum says, scrunching his nose. “How come yours seem to last months?” 

“A special type of moonberry. You pick ‘em when the moon is shinin’ and crush them up the same night. Some Moonshadow elves treat it like a ritual.” Rayla squints into the woods, seemingly searching for a moonberry bush. 

They’re sitting in the valley below the Spire, in the shade of a small copse of trees. It’s midday, and Rayla has been planning her venture back to Silvergrove. It won’t be a long trip at all, as Nyx has already volunteered to take them. She claims it’s not due to their valuable wares, but Ibis doubts this somehow. Callum is joining them, eager to see what Rayla is so excited about. 

“I’m glad the town is un-ghosting you. I’m still excited for moonberry surprise.” Callum laughs to himself. 

“Before we go, would you...do you think...bein’ such a good artist and all...help me doin’ new markings? I know it’s a lot to ask, but…” Rayla shyly looks away. 

“Of course I will, I’d be honored to! Do you have anything in mind?” Callum is filled to the brim with ideas, but respects her wants.

“You’re the artistic one here. Maybe...something that you think represents me? Most designs aren’t too complicated, but they mean something. We’ll find some moonberries tonight, on our way.” 

“Sounds great. I’ve got so many ideas, like what if…” 

Rayla is already grinning and hugging him. She’s so proud of this silly human mage. He’s perfect.

X

“I’m just asking you to be careful. Don’t...don’t do anything dangerous.” Ibis flicks his wings. 

“Aww, you care about me,” Nyx croons, grinning crookedly. “How sweet. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a week or so.” 

“Yeah yeah. Just don’t want you hurt. Everyone ready?” Ibis turns to Callum and Rayla, who is clinging to his shoulders like a back pack. Callum’s bronze wings snap open. 

“Ready.” The four of them line up at the edge, poised for the jump from the Spire. Nyx’s Ambler awaits them fair below, toward the outskirts of the valley.

When they leap, it’s like three giant birds careening down from the sky. Wings brushing and flapping, diving and soaring. Ibis hasn’t felt this sense of connection since he first learned to fly. 

Nyx’s laughter fills the sky. She’s a daredevil, zipping and snapping through the clouds, weaving past and around them, tucking her wings in and spiraling tightly. “I love flying!” she shouts over the wind. “Parkour!” 

Callum and Ibis smile, taking more care in getting to their destination. Rayla is only slightly more relaxed than she was after the initial leap. 

When they light gently in the Ambler’s saddle, Ibis feels a sort of ache. He knows it’s just a week, but he’s going to feel a bit lonely with just Zubeia and Zym to keep him company. Callum was versed in Sky magic: he’d do fine to keep them safe. And it wasn’t like they were going somewhere dangerous. But who knew how other elves would take their relationship? Gods, he was too stressed about something not concerning him at all. Nyx though...she was of concern to him. The dangerous way she acts… And that strange, curious way he feels when she smiles. 

“Hey, it’s going to be fine. I’ll be back before you know it,” Nyx says, touching her wings to his shoulders, and taking his hand in hers. “Promise.” 

“Okay. You’re right. It’ll be fine.” He hugs them each and takes off again with a flourish of magical wings, thinking about how boring the coming week will be. 

In a few months he may be able to leave the Spire, anyways. What will he do then? 

He’ll figure that out later. For now, he finishes Callum’s spellbook. There’s much left yet to fill it with. Who knows where this information might go, or be needed? 

X

Runaan feels a strange sort of consciousness from within his gold prison. It’s not like physically existing from inside the coin, more like having a sense that he’s there. 

It feels like an eternity, and yet, it could have been this morning that he was trapped here. Was it just his soul, or was his whole presence? There’s a knowledge of where he is. He just knows. That dark mage...whatever he’d done, Runaan would make sure he’d regret it. When the mage had dumped the coins onto the table, he thought he felt a sort of desperation emanating from them and a familiar sort of emotion came to mind. Something wasn’t right here. 

He wants to see the sun again. Even more so, the moon. And Ethari. He misses Ethari so much. And Rayla. She was a traitor. She’d betrayed him. Left the assassins to die. What was she thinking? 

It was okay. Maybe, his subconscious ponders, things will be okay again. Rayla will come to her senses. They’ve made things right. There would be balance again. 

There is a sort of strange feeling that he gets, thinking about something but feeling so ethereal, so lost. He feels like a slowly blinking and fading star in the sky. 

A pulse growing weaker and weaker, bleakly resonating in a deep silence. 

X

Across the continent, the enchanted lotus flower’s crystal flickers, gradually growing dimmer. It sinks through the water like a rock in sand. Imperceptibly slowly, but moving, surely, downwards, to where the other lotuses sit, sunken, silent, and still. Only one remains strongly beating at the surface, drifting across the pool.

A tall, silver-haired elf stares hard at the floating lotus.

X 

“The best berries are over here,” Rayla calls from across the glade. The moon is glinting off the leaves and off Rayla’s horns, and Callum can’t help but wishing he could draw the moonlight itself shimmering on all the visible surfaces. 

It’s the perfect night. Warm, not humid, and peaceful. Clear, moonlit. And of course, he was with Rayla. Any time with her was perfect. A stream bubbles nearby and small moon creatures flit through the bright dark. 

“This place is so beautiful, Rayla. It’s so alive!” Callum follows after her, collecting berries in a shallow wooden bowl they’d “borrowed” from Nyx. 

“Now, once we have enough, we’ll go back to the center of the glade.” 

Laughing, carefully crushing the berries as to not stain their hands, they make two separate bowls of midnight purple berry juice. Callum almost wants to paint paper with it, make a monochrome piece of art. He could paint Rayla in this beautiful color. 

“Well, so, are you sure you’re going to let me decide all this on my own? I might, I don’t know, mess it up?” Callum feels so weirdly nervous about this. He has so many ideas but still worries that maybe it won’t be right, or that she won’t like it. 

“Of course. I meant it. I want you to do it.” Rayla picks up one of his paintbrushes and hands it to him. “Just let you feel what’s right. It’ll be perfect.”

“Okay, I think I can do that.” And so, legs crossed, knees touching, Callum begins to paint layers of the crushed berry on her face, letting his heart do it rather than his mind. He traces angular lines and curving waves across her cheeks, takes her arms and draws spirals almost like runes. He thinks about all the time he’s spent learning who she is, about her life, her story, watching her ever-impressive bravery and courage. He thinks about catching her, about saving her, about how quicking-thinking and smart she is. How much he loves her. He puts all this and more into the marks he’s drawing. 

“There,” he breathes, lightly, slowly leaning away to observe his art. “I’m pretty proud of it.”

Rayla grins. “I bet it’s wonderful. I...I don’t know if this is something elves might not like, but...would you like me to paint some markings on you? I just thought…you’re a mage and all…”

“Yes, Rayla, absolutely. Be my guest. I’d love that.” Callum passes the paints to her, and closes his eyes. 

The wet brush against his skin almost tickles, but feels soothing at the same time. He relaxes as she carefully traces the paint over his face, trying to avoid laughing or moving. 

Rayla’s brushstrokes are careful and precise, rhythmic and calming. Callum can only imagine what things she thinks as she paints the markings. 

Finally, she draws the brush away. It’s over too soon. The paint feels almost strange, drying on his skin. He remembers being little and going to a traveling carnival. With Sarai, and his father…

Callum shakes away the thoughts and opens his eyes. Rayla is grinning brightly at him. 

“C’mon, we have to go see it. Once it’s stayed on for a bit, we can wash off the excess. It soaks into your skin.” Rayla takes his hand and guides him to the river. 

They peer into the water, and both gasp in surprise. 

Callum is stunned. She’s painted beautiful cresting waves across his cheekbones, double-lined and curving at the ends toward the corners of his eyes. 

Rayla’s new markings consist of sharper lines descending from her lower eyelids, cutting towards her nose, doubled like her parents. There are lines trailing up and over the edges of her ears, and ones cutting down her jawline from there. Her arms are wrapped in delicate, intimate swirls, dancing across her shoulders, to fine markings ending at her wrists. 

“It’s beautiful,” Rayla breathes. 

“Mine are just as great, Ray. I love them.” He meets her eyes, taking her hands. “Thank you, so much, this is just crazy-”

Rayla pulls him in and kisses him hard, smiling. 

Callum grins and leans into her arms. 

X

Nyx leaves her Ambler at the edge of the forest where she found them. Any further, and the stunning beast would begin to crush parts of the century-old woods. 

They make their way into the forest, to the entry of Silvergrove. It’s still as seamlessly hidden as when Callum first saw it. It still looks like a simple, mostly empty glade. Callum can’t even picture it being full of bustling elves. 

“Do I _have_ to let her in?” Rayla whines, not-so-quietly. 

“I can hear you,” Nyx says, singsong. “Let’s go already.” Rayla rolls her eyes and coaches Nyx through the dance, all the while irritable and making faces. 

Rayla turns to Callum once she’s made her way down to the stairs leading into the grove. “So...I’ve been thinking...we be careful about our relationship around the other elves... I don’t know how they’ll take it.” 

“Of course. But at some point they’ll have to get over it. As it is, the queen of Lux Aurea is with a human general. Don’t be too worried.” Callum brushes it off, and performs the entry dance much smoothly this time, still with a few hiccups. 

“You know, it feels so weird not having Zym along with us anymore. I miss him,” Callum says, reluctantly letting go of her hand. 

As they step down from the final stair, a dozen elf faces turn to look at them, detailed, painted, beautiful faces. And there, in front of them all, is Ethari, smiling so boldly anyone could feel the happiness radiating off him. 

“You’re home, Rayla.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, as always, let me know what you want to hear! I'm looking at doing a series of chapters on Rayla as a child and Tia and Lain and Ethari and Runaan being chaotic kids because who doesn't need that content in their lives? Feedback always welcome.


	6. Desiderium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (or, wow thinking of new titles is getting difficult) Things start to branch out some and there will be a story developing, I think. Rayla faces a couple hard truths, Nyx gets a reminder, the travel home is ongoing, and we see a snippet of commentary from some old friends. Zubeia tells a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for never uploading a chapter a few weeks ago, life catches up to you. So from now on, no promises for dates that I will have something done by. You should be able to expect a chapter every couple of weeks or so. I do promise, however, I will not fully abandon this project if I can help it and until I say it's finished.

“Gods, Rayla. You really need to see a healer. Why not go now, while we’re here in Silvergrove and there’s like four different ones you could visit? I hear they’re quite skilled and-” 

“Whose injury is it? Mine. That’s right. And guess who decides to get it taken care of or not? Me. Leave it alone, Callum, I’m fine,” she grunts, rubbing at her wrist. 

Ever since the binding had choked it for weeks, her wrist hadn’t been the same. She felt chronic pains and aches. It even looked moderately deformed. From her guess, the binding may have crushed some of her bones and definitely hurt her nerves. It hurt worse than she’d ever say. And she was _not_ going to a doctor. 

Callum stirs the pot of soup, still not turning back to face her. They’ve been granted their own little home carved into the hillside for their stay here in Silvergrove. Callum already knows the elves are aware of his relationship with Rayla, but he doesn’t know how to feel about the lack of taboo with couples staying together. He’s obviously more than happy to be with Rayla but other elves aren’t exactly as enamored. 

“I’ll set up a meeting for you and the healer in the morning. I won’t force you to go. I’ll be meeting Lujanne to talk about primal magic at the same time.” Callum pulls the pot off the fire and begins to ladle soup into two bowls. 

“Yer a good cook, Callum,” Rayla says, sipping lightly at the broth. “Thank you.”

Callum smiles, mouth too full of broth to properly acknowledge her thanks. He learned to cook from Harrow. They would wake up early in the mornings before Sarai or Ezran and steal down to the kitchen to prepare breakfasts, inviting the cook to take the day off. His favorites were soups. Easy and filling. 

“It’s a new recipe, from one of the elves in the market. Since, obviously, I don’t even know half the things that went into the soup.” They laugh together, savoring their brief solitude. 

“Callum, I…” Rayla looks away, tugging at one of her boots. “I’m sorry if there’s elves mistreating you. It’s not right.” 

“That’s not your fault, Ray. It’ll be okay. They aren’t too bad. I stick up for myself, for the most part. They’re judging me, but I think the whole ‘only human who can do primal magic’ gives me a slight advantage.” 

“Okay. You just let me know if I need to beat someone up, right?”

“Right. So what about that Moonberry Surprise you’ve been telling me all about?” 

X

Nyx grins to herself. She’s a Skywing elf and she has no reputation in Silvergrove yet. And there’s no Ibis or Rayla or Callum to stop her today. She’s chosen to roost in a tree for the nights and since she woke up, she’s been watching the town’s activity from high above. 

“So many wonderful little valuables, sitting out in the open like that. They’d go for a pretty price in the Undermarkets…” she mutters to herself, a crooked grin creeping over her face. “You’re quite the actress, Nyx. Convince them you’ll behave, and then just don’t get caught. Like a fish in a net.” 

She snaps her wings open and glides down to the paths, lighting gently. She puts on a show, greeting and meeting other elves, making up a story about witnessing the Battle for the Spire. It was all too easy. She snacks lightly on a stick of glazed bread she snuck while chatting up an elf about the soulfangs. 

Nyx scans the market crowd with keen eyes, trying to decide what to do- steal -next. A familiar face snags her attention...but it’s just as quickly lost in the movement. Something about the face made her feel sad and angry and nostalgic. 

And there she was. The stunning, beautiful elf, with hair like waves and eyes that shimmer like the sea. She’s heavy set and almost intimidatingly strong. Nyx’s chest seizes. Her ex. Only the most gorgeous Tidebound elf she’d ever met. And at that same moment, Alysara sees her too. Nyx looks away quickly. 

“Hey. Never thought I’d see you round these parts. Thought you had a history with Moonshadow elves.” Alysara is the definition of lovely, with striking tanned skin and an assortment of ocean jewelry hanging off her. 

“You’re a ways from home yourself,” Nyx replies, curtly. She feels tiny next to the warrior elf next to her. 

“Suppose I am. On an official diplomacy trip. What would bring you here?”

Nyx glances around. “I’m out with...some friends. That’s all. Brief stay. Good to see you.” She begins to shoulder past but Alysara’s arms are around her before she knows it, crushing her in a hug. 

“Ow. Yikes. Watch the wings,” she grumbles, but then a wry grin comes across her face. Taking her wings and tucking them around Alysara, she reaches her hands around and very, very carefully draws a small coinpurse from her back pocket. “Well, I really do have to go now. Places to be, things to do, you know.” 

Her ex lets go somewhat reluctantly, sighing. “Alright. Well, maybe we’ll see each other around again.” 

Nyx gives a fake smile and keeps going. The coinpurse slips into her bag, with a satisfying heaviness. Suddenly, she realizes that Alysara is still standing there, watching her. 

“Naimi-Selari-Nykantia. Give my purse back. You’re not that good. Couldn’t you have taken a lesson when we broke up?” 

Nyx spins on her heels, blushing furiously. “I...I’m sorry.” She tosses the purse back, feeling...ashamed? “I don’t know.”

“You’re a good person, deep down inside. You can change. It’s not against your nature. I know things aren’t always easy, but really. I trust that you will realize it yourself one day. Goodbye, Nyx.” 

Alysara coldly turns away. Nyx is left standing in the path, the weight of shame making her bag feel a hundred times heavier than it actually is. 

X

Gren feels somewhat at a loss without Amaya by his side. Loyal, faithful, strong, brave Amaya. He feels like he lost a limb. But he’s in charge of Katolis’s armies now, and has many other responsibilities to focus on. 

He rides far ahead of the others, trying to find solace in the silence. 

It’s not long before the sound of approaching hoofbeats echo in the valley. “Yes?” he says, expecting some complaint or report of another problem. 

“Just me. Don’t worry,” comes Corvus’s deep voice. The tension in Gren’s shoulders dissipates. 

“Ah. Thank the gods, I was worried yet another soldier had eaten the wrong berry and was vomiting profusely on the side of the road.” Gren pauses, and takes a deep breath. “Okay, positive thoughts. We’re almost home. Another day. It’s okay.”

Corvus smiles and fixes his gaze on the road ahead. “Feels weird that it’s all over, huh?” 

Gren nods, much more somber than he ever is. He’s so tired. Ready for a very long nap. There’s so much behind them, and yet so much has just been opened to them. New issues he’s not sure how long it will take to resolve again. 

“It'll be alright.” Corvus guides his horse closer and reaches out, placing a hand on the commander’s shoulder. “Want to hear a story about the time I lost King Ezran and thought a Banther ate him? It’s a funny story, really.” 

Gren’s lips curl up and he smiles. “Sure. If you let me tell you about the time I signed a swear word at Amaya instead of ‘hello’ and she didn’t stop laughing that whole day.” 

Corvus laughs heartily. “Of course.” 

X

“I don’t want to see her. Her family were traitors,” hisses the third healer today. It’s not like it was Rayla’s fault they held a false belief. 

Rayla kicked the small table in front of her, pretending she couldn’t hear them in the little office that was entirely within earshot. 

“I don’t care who treats me, Callum made me set up an appointment,” she calls. “I’ll be leaving, then.”

“Not so fast.” A tall, short haired elf steps from the office. She’s somewhat young compared to the other healers, and she’s not a Moonshadow elf. Rayla can’t tell what type of elf she is...and then it hits her. She’s a mix. She has deep, purple skin, with golden markings running across her cheekbones, with plaited, shock-white hair. Her horns are midnight black. Her eyes burn. “Come in.” 

Rayla stands with some reluctance, feeling wary. “Should I know you?”

The elf shakes her head. “No, but I knew your parents.” 

She stiffs. “You did? Why did I never know you?” 

“Not everyone likes a mixed elf, you know. Can’t imagine they’re appreciating your relationship with a human, either. Come on, I don’t have all day, you know.” She gestures into a small room and directs Rayla to sit down. 

“Who are you?”

“I went by Saleh with your parents. You may call me the same. Now let me see your wrist.” Saleh gently turns Rayla’s hand over and runs her fingers over her crushed wrist. “What happened?”

“Magic binding. Nearly choked my hand off, but the Prince of Dragons snipped it off for me just before it was too late. Been hurting for a long time.” Rayla grimaces, thinking of how afraid she was to lose her hand. 

“You should rest it. Let it heal properly. I can give you advice and set it, but you’d need to see a magic healer to get it taken care of entirely.” Saleh looks at her with a mixture of sorrow and hope in your eyes. “I wish you well, Rayla.” 

Rayla leaves the healers’ and continues to wonder. Just how many mysteries did her parents leave behind for her?

X

Villads knows something is changing. He can feel it in the wind. He can’t quite tell if it’s good or bad yet, but every sea-breeze brings these notes. For a long time after he’d brought those kids across the stormy waters, he’d felt that something grander than himself was happening. 

He knew that there was something up with those kids. Something that was changing the winds. 

“Berto, what do you think?”

“Think what you think, Captain!” Berto finished with a loud squawk. 

“That’s right. I’ll reckon we’ll see them again. I know something good is afoot.” 

The wind tussles his hair and he smiles. 

X

Zym lays down next to his mother for the night. With Rayla gone, he is left to get himself to sleep. Zubeia tries the best she can to calm him but it isn’t easy. 

“Be quiet, little one. I am tired, you are tired, and it’s still more days yet til they return. Please rest.” Zubeia shakes her head to dislodge any debris or such that Zym might have gotten in her fur from clambering in it earlier. 

Zym made a slight whimpering sound, a plea for sympathy. He hadn’t learned to speak yet, and it would likely be a few years before he did. Dragons aged slowly and continued to grow their whole lives. Zubeia silently asks the stars to keep her only son safe. 

“Come here. I will tell you a story,” she whispers. Zym goes to her and curls into the crook of her leg. “Once, everything was magical. Humans lived peacefully among elves and there were no wars and there was no hate. Magic was kept inside everyone and everything. The world shared it. Dragons kept the peace. They watched over all other beings, maintaining balance. Over centuries, humans and elves seemed to grow further and further apart. Soon, they looked different and lacked access to their innate magic. Elves feared that their magic might be gone forever. They were divided. Both groups judged each other for what the other had or did not have. They began to fight and use these advantages against each other. Some humans took a dark path to stand against the elves. Some elves took dark paths to stand against humans. War broke loose, and the few truly good who remained could not band together to stop it. Look where it has brought us now. But look at how much has changed in so little time. I hope that with your rise, we will see change for the first time in centuries. It is not impossible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave a comment or a suggestion for future chapters. I appreciate all the support I get, thank you all!


	7. A Time for Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soren heads out on his own, Ezran learns how much built-up mail sucks, a Marcos POV!, and Rayla and Callum are still handling the recent events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, firstly, I just want to say,
> 
> I have been gone for SOOOOO long and for that, sincerest apologies. But I'm sure you know just how much fun it is when life gets in the way and things don't work out the way you want them to. A lot has happened lately(and not so recently) and I've started school again, which means I'll be needing to return to old distractions! I certainly missed this one. I'm going to make it a goal to accomplish a chapter a month from here on, if I can, but again, lots going on. I'm hoping posting this chapter will get me back into the groove of things. In the meantime, I'm going to learn how to install a subwoofer in a car...Enjoy!

It has rained for three days. Soren is soaked to the bone and plain miserable. But all he can think about is plodding on, one foot in front of the other. That, and where he’s headed next. He sent some small bird with a letter to Ezran back in Katolis. He thinks he sent it on a bird named “firebird” or “phonetic” but he couldn’t spell its name correctly. It was related to the Moon Lady’s bird and that’s all Soren feels he needed to know. 

He isn’t returning to the castle. Not to the warmth, or his fellow soldiers, or to Gren and Amaya’s command, not to the jelly tarts or his comfortable room in his old tower with Clauds and Dad…. No. He has somewhere else to go. Somewhere he hasn’t been in years. 

It’s funny, thinking now, will she even recognize him? Will his unruly blonde hair still match hers? Is she still loud, and funny, and expressive? Will she still love him, even though he didn’t choose her? 

He’s going to see Mom, after all these years. Something he really never dreamed of doing because of how much Dad insisted it never happen. But maybe it was time. No. It was far past time. 

A small flicker of hope burns in Soren’s chest. He’s going to make amends with one person at a time. He will get there, however slowly, and he will fix things. 

X

“For the last time, Your Majesty, you do understand these three carts alone are the urgent messages?”

“Yes, Crow Master, I do,” Ezran sighes. “Hand me the next one.”

“Uh, actually, I’m just Crow _Lord_...” The small, black-haired courier taps his index fingers together. How many times must he repeat this, too?

“Yes, yes. I really need a break, it’s been two hours and we’ve barely made a dent. I’m thinking, maybe we appoint someone to read all these letters for me and just tell me the important stuff? Or wait, actually, appoint a bunch of people and then it’s less stressful for everyone.” Ezran ponders this newfound idea. “Opeli, did you catch that?”

The cloaked woman snaps to attention. “Uh, catch what? Someone threw something?” Her eyes dart around frantically. Visions of Viren’s terrible doings cross her mind, and she shakes her head roughly. “I am so sorry, King Ezran. I am in terrible need of rest.”

Crow Lord nods, deep bags showing under his eyes. He’s seen the evils and terrors of what happened over the past months firsthand. Well, okay, read them firsthand. 

“Well, I need a jelly tart, so we can come back in a couple hours. No rush. It’s been a lot of work, and you deserve rest.” Ezran dismisses the guards, who show a visible slump in their shoulders. They’re all stressed beyond belief and understanding. Sure, the war is over, but there are still a multitude of issues. Ezran feels a headache building. 

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Crow Lord bows, before spinning on his heel. He has all his flock to tend to. He passes the many, many doorways and halls as he ascends to his bell tower where he keeps the birds. They’re not his birds, exactly. They’re the Crow Master’s beloved birds, fowl friends, his cherished corvids…and the Crow Lord must do all the upkeep and care for them. 

It isn’t such an awful job, he supposes. There are much worse scents than bird droppings, and before this, he was a stablehand. His toes were all crushed beyond belief. He thinks of how proud his parents were; well, his adoptive parents, anyways. He’d finally gotten a real job, and a job in the castle nonetheless. There was quite the long story behind all this, and it wasn't a fun backstory like the characters in his favorite books. 

He is met with a cacophony of caws as he opens the interior door to the nest tower. It’s midday feeding for the birds and they are quite impatient. 

“Oh, calm down. Just give me a minute, I’ll get you your seeds, fresh fruit, whatever else you want...let me check the inbox first…” 

Crow Lord walks past the birds and towards a little slot where people shove letters into his office to be mailed. They fall into a large crate with wheels that he can move about as he pleases. He’s already got a dozen new letters laying in the bottom of the crate, but one in particular catches his eye. It’s a crisp and neatly folded piece of parchment, with a golden wax seal keeping the pages from popping open. And they’re addressed….to the Crow Master himself. 

Crow Lord knows he shouldn’t do this. It’s detailed in his rulebook that he is not to interfere with any correspondence unless told otherwise by the royal court. But still, he picks up the letter, checking for a return address. Nothing. He looks for a sending address, as there would usually be under the name of the receiver. There is nothing. 

Which would make sense, seeing as the Crow Master would usually be here. But if there’s nothing to do with it but read it himself, maybe he is within his abilities? What if it’s important? This could be vital knowledge for the king, and no one knows when the Crow Master will return. No other mail had been received for him in weeks, anyways. And if anything, he can always reseal it. There’s just a plain stamp over the seal. 

With a nervous breath, he cracks the seal. 

X

Lux Aurea is so much bigger and grander than Marcos could ever have guessed it would be. He was told tall tales of it as a child, about the gold and splendor of the place, but nothing would compare to the sheer beauty of the place. No words or paintings could ever capture this. 

He supposes many of the humans who had now traveled to Xadia were realizing the things their human kingdoms were lacking. There was magic in just about anything, and the elves were not who the stories said they were. The Sunfire elves were powerful, intelligent, and masters at architecture. 

“Do you like it?” asks the stunning elven soldier beside him. They’re all stunning, really. 

“Of course I do, it’s so…so…” Marcos gestures vaguely towards the rest of the city. 

The elf soldier laughs. “You humans do not have enough words for pretty things.” With a pat on Marcos’s shoulder, he leaves to join the rest of the returning warriors. 

Someone distantly calls his name, and he turns, searching out the accented voice he’d just become accustomed to hearing.

Sabah waves to him as she jogs up. “Hey! I thought I lost you!” 

Marcos laughs. “I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere anyways, this place is like a maze. Care to show me around?” Sabah extends her hand again, grinning widely. 

“Of course. C’mon, there’s only so much daytime left.”

Marcos has never felt happier to just be content with the way things have changed. But there is still displeasure with the elves around him. He is, afterall, a human outsider in their midst. Not everyone was going to change as fast as Sabah or Janai had. But he had considerable faith that they would come around in time. 

He’s no diplomat, but things can certainly change, and prejudice could be fought. 

X

Rayla has given up on being stubborn towards Callum’s insistence that she does need to follow through and get magical treatment for her wrist. More than once it’s been an issue. But Rayla likes going to a doctor just as much as she likes swimming. Which is to say, not at all. 

But the pain on Callum’s face is more than enough to convince her something needs to change. Currently, he’s washing a mountain of dishes and trying to plan out next steps. He carries the responsibility of an older sibling, making Rayla’s heart squeeze thinking of Ez. 

“The best magical healers are located to the south, from what this map says, they’re just a little farther than the inland villages of the Tidebound elves. We can be there in a couples weeks, on foot-”

“We can get there faster by air, Ambler, or boat,” Nyx suggests, twirling a plate on her finger. 

“Stop that!” Callum snatches the plate away and puts it back on the shelf. “And we are not taking a boat.”

Rayla groans and puts her head down onto the table. “I jus’ want to be fighting enemies or something again, all this travel is tiring. Can’t we just rest a bit more?” She doesn’t want to admit that she would miss Ethari. No, she wants to be strong for all of them. Needs to be. But she’s so tempted to give in for once. Maybe she should. She can’t be the responsible one always. 

“Rayla, the sooner we get you help, the better.” He reaches out and squeezes her hand with his slightly soapy one. “It’ll be okay.”

Wiping her hand, she smiles. “Thanks. I need to clear my head, I’ll be back for dinner,” Rayla says, getting up and shouldering past Nyx at the door. 

“Excuse you,” the Skywing elf sniffs, feigning offense. Rayla fights the urge to roll her eyes. 

She continues on, following the familiar paths that she grew up running on, each step a step where her younger self had been before, exploring every corner of the grove. She wanted to feel that connection again, remember times when she wasn’t so sad. 

Rayla makes her way through the woods, walking without thinking, letting her feet guide her. She remembers walking these trails with her parents, with Runaan and Ethari when she was little, she remembers beautiful sunsets and discovering the creatures the forest had to show her. 

And before she knows it, she’s standing in the midst of her favorite field, Adoraburrs clinging to her boots. She laughs as she pries a couple off. 

“I missed ya,” she says to the squeaking balls of fluff. “I’m back, but not for very long.” 

Rayla pauses, thinking of her parents. At some point, they stepped foot in this field last. Supposedly, Adoraburrs had very good memories. “I bet ya miss mum and pa, too, huh?” Rayla sighes, rubbing a few blades of tall grass between her fingers. 

She misses them so much. It feels like forever since she saw them last. It was a goodbye like any other, knowing they were off to defend the Dragon Queen after a short visit. And she expected them to be back. And when she heard that they were not returning...well… Something had snapped that day and she decided to forge her own path. 

But her path is so foggy and undefined at this point, and she doesn’t even know what steps she should be taking next. She sighs again and throws herself down into the grass. The Adoraburrs squeak in concern and she brushes them away. 

“I’m jus’ taking a breather, s’okay.” Rayla shuts her eyes and does her best to relax. 

X

Callum wakes with a harsh jolt. For a brief minute, he scrambles to make sure that Rayla is still at his side. His hand glances over her horns, and she shifts in her sleep, mumbling incoherently. 

“Oh, thank the stars,” he breathes. There’s much fewer nightmares lately, but he still finds them just as terrifying as the real moment. He touches his pulse on his neck, feeling his heart racing. Grimacing, he gets up and moves to a small desk in the corner. He’s probably not going to be able to sleep for a bit more and Rayla badly needs a good rest. 

Callum produces some thick paper and a charcoal pencil from inside the desk and begins to draw, pulling images from his memory. It soothes his nerves some, but even after two drawings it doesn't feel like enough. He hasn’t been sleeping well since the jump and he’s beginning to think he should see someone specialized in these issues. He used to, after his mom died. But as he got older priorities got shifted to teaching him skills rather than ensuring mental stability.

 _If I ever have a kid,_ Callum promises himself, _I’ll make sure they get all the help they need. And they’ll grow up understanding the truth about elves and the world._

Callum leans away from the desk, realizing his nose had been dangerously close to the paper. He almost laughs upon realizing what he’s drawn. It’s Ezran, holding Bait tightly to his chest while perched high on a banther. 

But the more Callum thinks about his brother, the more it hurts to think about the miles and miles that separate them. He lets out a quiet sigh and the drawing ruffles. He puts the pencil down and rests his head on his palms. A couple of teardrops fall onto the page and the charcoal runs, but Callum doesn’t care. He misses his brother. He’s got so little family left anymore. This could have all been different, and they weren’t fast enough. And Runaan didn’t listen, and Viren had destroyed so much...gods, so much had happened and he just feels helpless about it. 

“Hey. Whatcha doing up so late- er, early?” Rayla’s soft voice comes from over his shoulder. Callum’s head doesn’t turn, so she leans over his shoulder. “Oh. I’m sorry. Can I help?”

Callum shakes his head, more tears falling now. Rayla tugs the page out from under him and wraps her arms around his shoulders, tucking her chin into his shoulder. 

“It’s okay. I’m here.” 

Callum leans his head into hers and moves a hand over hers. His shoulders tremble slightly and he slumps into the chair and her comfort. Their tears collide on their pressed cheeks. 

“Will you come to sleep?” Rayla whispers.

Callum sniffles, wiping at his face with a sleeve. “Yeah,” he chokes out, getting up and returning to the comfortable mattress. He isn’t even thinking much of anything anymore; just that he’s upset and he has to cry. He stares up at the ceiling, where thick silver roots curl. 

Rayla lies down and shifts the covers. “Callum, lie down, please.” He nods, doing so. He pulls the blankets up to his neck and after a moment, rolls over to face Rayla. “It’s okay. You can cry.”

With a shuddering sigh, he pulls himself close to her and buries his face in her shoulder. She wraps her arms around him and runs her fingers through his hair. 

“I love you,” Callum says, muffled. Rayla smiles and presses a kiss to his forehead. 

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it, my first installment since I've returned from this weird hiatus of sorts. Please let me know what you thought (constructive criticism!) and if you have any ideas of what POVs, interactions, or whatever that you want to see in the future because it helps speed up the writing process a tad, and makes for happy readers! I know it's not a lot, so expect a slightly bigger next installment. Comments and kudos go a long ways and I thank you, readers!
> 
> (Also, please forgive me for making them hurt yet again.)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you enjoyed these! Feedback is welcome and wanted. Suggestions HIGHLY appreciated (what, you want me to think of each new scene all on my own? psh, what?? :) )! Thanks for reading!


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